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High-gamma EEG

High-gamma band (HGB) activity in the human brain is often linked to higher cognitive functions and memory. It has also been shown that HGB power is phase-locked to theta band (4-8 Hz) oscillations, indicating that this cross-frequency coupling coordinates functional cortical activity and could be a communication mechanism for cognitive processing. Furthermore, HGB activity seems to be linked to spatial attention and the generation of the in fMRI measured BOLD signal. Thus, it is highly interesting for neuroscientists to uncover task-dependent HBG activity, as this information could help in the understanding of higher brain functions.

However, it is not easy to detect gamma band power modulations in EEG, as the power measured in EEG is inversely proportional to frequency. As a consequence, high-frequency, low-amplitude signals are often masked by broadband artifacts.

To tackle these issues, our EEG lab and measurement procedure is optimized to detect even subtle gamma oscillations with a low signal-to-noise ratio: The recording is done within an electromagnetically shielded EEG cabin with a high sampling rate of 5000 Hz. Furthermore, all subjects are monitored with a high-resolution eye tracker to detect and examine blinks, saccades and microsaccades.